When you sing in a group, whether it’s a large choir or a smaller group, the act of collective singing causes your body to release endorphins. Listening to music (without singing along) reduced stress hormones but didn’t stimulate the body’s immune system. Those who sang showed higher levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody your body secretes to help you fend off infections. In two separate sessions, research subjects either sang or listened to music.

There’s some evidence that singing may boost your immune system and help you fight off illnesses.Ī 2004 study compared the effects of singing with the effects of simply listening to music. A similar 2015 study tested salivary cortisol levels after a singing performance, finding that cortisol levels went up in this scenario. There’s a small catch, though: Cortisol only goes down if you’re singing in a place that doesn’t make you anxious. They also found singing reduces stress levels whether the participants were singing in a group or by themselves. Researchers in that study found that the amount of cortisol was lower after singing, an indication that people felt more relaxed after they’d belted out a tune. A 2017 study measured the amount of cortisol, the stress hormone, in participant’s saliva before and after they sang. Here, according to science, are 10 key benefits of raising your voice in song.

Decades of research has shown that singing individually and in groups is good for you on many levels.

Sang along